Sept 14th
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor 12: 9-10
It seems that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was sent to humble him so that he might not exalt himself as a result of the great revelations given to him. Paul’s first desire was to have the thorn removed and he asked the Lord three times that it might be taken away. The answer came to him that the trial was a blessing: through the weakness and humiliation it brought, the grace and strength of the Lord could better be manifested.
Quoted from “humilty” by Andrew Murray. The Journey Toward Holiness

Sept 13th
Isiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
If we believe in Him, if we believe that He is who He says He is, then we must believe that He is bigger and stronger than anything we fear, anything we worry about, any sin we have committed, and any mess we are in. Not only that, we must believe that His love for us is greater than our fear. His love casts a radiance of light into any darkness we are facing. He assures us that the darkness cannot, will not overcome the light (John 1:5). [reflection from: https://walkingwithpurpose.com/do-not-fear-really-isaiah-4110/

Sep 12th
Romans 8:11 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
Romans 8:11 is a powerful verse that speaks directly to the heart of Christian faith. It tells us about the incredible truth of life after death and the role that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. The first part tells us that if the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, we have a great promise. This means that if we have accepted Jesus into our lives, we also have the Holy Spirit residing within us. This is significant because it connects us to the resurrection power of Christ. This verse signifies that we are not alone in our struggles, worries, or even our physical deaths; we have been given divine support. If death is not the end for Jesus, then it is also not the end for us, as long as we have faith in Him. This brings us hope and a deep sense of peace knowing that we too will experience resurrection in a heavenly form.
The second part of this verse… [continue reading]

Sep 11th

I remember reading this chapter when I was a kid and enjoyed the connection as a runner in track and cross country in high school. As I have matured, so has the meaning after wasting so much time on certain things in life, coming back to this reading is sobering.
From wau.org daily meditation
Daily Meditation: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-27

Run so as to win. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Did you know the first recorded Olympics Games happened nearly three thousand years ago, well before Jesus’ time? The athletic comparisons that St. Paul uses in today’s first reading, therefore, would have been familiar to his audience (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). But what is he saying exactly? Do we “win” our way into heaven only if we try hard enough, like an athlete training for the Olympics?

No—at least not exactly.

Scripture is clear that we cannot earn a place in heaven by our own efforts. The original sin passed down through our first parents is incompatible with the holiness of God and the perfection of his heavenly courts. Even your favorite saints—those people who tried their hardest to do good and serve God—knew that their efforts would never avail them this way. All the good they did and all the sacrifices they made arose from love for the Lord and gratitude for his free gift of salvation. They didn’t work hard so they could earn heaven. Jesus had already won the race for them—just as he did for us! It was because they had received salvation that they worked hard to bring it to everyone else.

St. Paul is warning us not to assume that Jesus’ sacrifice lets us off the hook from loving the Lord and serving his people. We need to approach our faith in the same way that a runner trains for a race or a boxer for a match: with intensity and discipline. Just as committed athletes structure their lives around their sport—devoting hours to practice, getting enough sleep, eating well—we should structure our lives around the Lord and make pleasing him our top priority. If an athlete does all this for love of the sport, how much more should we dedicate ourselves for love of our Savior!

There’s no way around it: the Christian life takes time and effort. But remember Paul’s words: everyone who runs the race of discipleship and service to God’s people will win an “imperishable” crown when they meet the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:25).

“Jesus, may I never lose sight of the salvation you have won for me!”